-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This month on Quest , a modern insight into our enduring bond with man 's best friend ... the humble dog .

Singer Joss Stone tells Quest why dogs are a girl 's best friend .

When humans blossomed from the evolutionary tree , it seems there was a cold wet nose and a wagging tail waiting for us . So it remains to this day , that we need dogs and they need us . Americans alone now spend $ 41 billion a year on their pets , more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world .

Quest begins his journey in Los Angeles where pampered pooches are the ultimate accessory . It 's the city that caters for a dog 's every whim , from spa treatments to doggy bakeries .

Some mutts are not so lucky -- Quest joins actress Allison Janney at the New Leash On Life dog rescue center , where the doe-eyed inmates wait for adoption .

It is here where Quest encounters Belle , a shy , docile pit bull/boxer mix with a troubled past . They say every dog has its day and on a sunny afternoon in West Hollywood , Belle has hers , as Quest takes her for a grooming and spot of shopping .

Ultimately , the show is about companionship . Back in Devon , in the UK , singing sensation Joss Stone eulogizes about the fluffy members of her band -- she says that her dogs are the perfect companions because they have no idea she is a celebrity .

We also join actor Richard Gere on the set of his new movie `` Hachiko '' -- the traditional Japanese story of canine loyalty . On set , we meet the dog trainers and look at the work of American Humane , authors of the phrase : `` No animals were harmed during the making of this movie . ''

Just like proud parents , every owner likes to think their dog is special . At the Westminster Dog Show in New York , competition gets bitchy and only the best trained hounds need apply .

Back in Hollywood , Quest helps pick out the doggy stars of the future with Animal Actors agent Gloria Winship . Working dogs have left an important paw print on our society -- in Panama City , central America , we see how the specially trained dogs of the Red Cross bring comfort to sick children and prepare for rescue missions during natural disasters .

Join the experts and the eccentrics for some canine capers , on this month 's Quest for Man 's Best Friend . E-mail to a friend

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In this month 's Quest , Richard explores the bond between dogs and their owners

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Quest meets Hollywood 's pampered pooches and dogs awaiting adoption

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Singer Joss Stone tells Quest why dogs are her perfect companions

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Quest joins Richard Gere on the set of his new dog-themed movie , `` Hachiko ''